JEC Consortium Publishes Study On Biofuels

The JEC Consortium investigated the potential for biofuels and other alternative energy sources to achieve the 10% renewable energy target for the EU transport sector by 2020 as mandated by the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED).

Making reasonable assumptions about the European vehicle fleet, JEC calculated that current legally mandated biofuel blends, with a contribution from renewable energy in non-road transport, come close to meeting the RED 10% renewable energy target. Eight further “technically feasible” scenarios were analysed with differing biofuel contents, fuel grades and vehicles, demonstrating paths to reaching or exceeding the 10% RED target.

In order to ensure accuracy of the results, the consortium created the “Fleet & Fuels” model which takes into account anticipated trends in passenger and commercial vehicles, including sales volumes, scrappage rates, usage and fuel consumption.

Leading EUCAR’s work on the study was Heinz Hass, Manager for Sustainability and Environment at the European Ford Research Centre in Aachen, Germany who explained, “It was important to have a technically robust study to assess how biofuels and other renewables can contribute to fulfilling the RED targets.” Continuing, he stated, “The in depth technical expertise of the automotive and energy industries and the Joint Research Centre ensures a comprehensive and accountable study to inform consumers, industry and policy makers.”

In addition to the above conclusions, the report also highlights the importance of maintaining compatibility between fuel blends and vehicles, to ensure successful application of new fuels and continued customer acceptance. It calls for a robust and forward-looking standardisation process (CEN - European Committee for Standardisation - specifications) in order to enable timely implementation of future fuel roadmaps to achieve the EU targets. Website: http://ies.jrc.ec.europa.eu/uploads/jec/JECBiofuels%20Report_2011_PRINT.pdf